Healing Space

Filling a hospital with art has been shown to support the well-being of patients, families and staff. The use of color and imagery can create a healing environment that lowers stress and anxiety and can also be used to encourage rehabilitation. Each art program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is aimed at promoting healing, transforming the hospital experience and bringing joy. The hospital’s commitment to filling the environment with local art is seen throughout campus in murals, paintings and prints, sculpture, mosaics, flooring and colorful designs.

Six years ago, a new tower was built and named the Chili’s Care Center. Instead of filling the corridors with murals, hospital planners opted to populate each floor with framed artwork consisting of pieces from local artists and patients, as well as photographs that would be displayed in custom-made, colorful frames unique to the tower’s interior. While the tower was under construction, several local artists moved into it, set up studios and created a large body of work for the project.

Together, with art produced by patients and images created by St. Jude photographers, hundreds of pieces were permanently displayed in the corridors of every floor within the tower. Today, patients, families and staff walking the halls experience art created for them and by them; these individuals also view photos of themselves and of those who support them.

Because of the success of the Chili’s Care Center art program, hospital planners decided that the next tower, currently under construction and known as “Tower 2,” would house a similar art program. Seven artists were invited to participate in the Tower 2 Project. Jeanne Seagle, Lurlynn Franklin and Janet Beaver were three artists from the original group who were asked to participate in this new project.

The remaining four were Kong wee Pang, Jay Crum, Alex Warble and Danny Broadway. Seagle, Beaver, Broadway and Warble set up studios on campus, while the remaining three worked from their personal studios. All of the artists participated in tours and were given open access to explore and experience the campus and the people. They were also provided color samples of the new tower’s interior and encouraged to not only pull from their experience at St. Jude, but to also create work that might draw the viewer in to find something new.

Each artist participated in at least one “painting party” with patients and families. These parties were designed not only to fill the new tower with patient work, but also to provide artists, patients and families with a fun and therapeutic experience. The artists together produced more than 100 pieces during their four-week residency, while patients and families produced more than 100 paintings during their seven painting parties.

HEALING SPACE is a sample of the work produced during the Tower 2 Project. This show displays the pieces for public view before permanent installation while illustrating the importance of color and connection in a therapeutic environment.

-Youngblood Studio, LLC